The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of ethanol extract of Lepidagathis
alopecuroides on spermatogenesis in mammalian system. Thirty-six adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used
for this investigation and were divided into six groups of six rats each (A-F). Groups B-F were administered
ethanol extracts of L. alopecuroides orally at a daily dose of 50-250 mg/kg body weight respectively, for 35
days. Testicular sections 5 μ thickwere embedded with paraffin and stained according to standard Hematoxylineosin
protocol. Computer-assisted histometric analysis was carried out on testicular seminiferous epithelium.
Morphometric evaluation of the reproductive organs showed that there was significant (p<0.05) reduction in
paired testes weights of the treated rats at higher concentrations, while the body weight, epididymal and Tunica
albuginea weights were comparable (p>0.05) to those of the control rats. From analysis of the volumetric
proportions of spermatogenic cells, extract interfered with the spermatogenic process in the treated rats inducing
over 50% reduction in the number of preleptotene/leptotene primary spermatocytes, 57% decline in the number
of advance primary spermatocytes at pachytene, about 60% reduction of secondary spermatocytes and 80%
decrease in the expected number of spermatids against the number of spermatogonia. The progressive decline
in the number of the various spermatogenic elements on critical examination of the seminiferous epithelium
especially at concentrations 200-250 mg/kg bodyweight and the reduction of the spermatogenic efficiency to
20% shows that Lepidagathis alopecuroides possesses anti-spermatogenic properties in rats without the
accompanying systemic toxicity reported in the catfish Clarias gariepinus.